The Path Less Traveled
by arabiasil
Summary: A little something concocted in the sadly besotted minds of Arabiasil and Arabella Thorne about Lord Liam and who he meets while out hunting.


The Path Less Traveled  
  
By Arabella Thorne and Arabiasil  
  
  
  
For Kashinda: You are a dear soul and we hope this cheers you up!  
  
  
  
All of Mr. Tolkien's creations are his. Everything else belongs to Arabella and Arabiasil  
  
  
  
  
  
Things were quiet in the house of Elrond.  
  
Sareei was asleep and Elrond had suggested Liam get out for some fresh air. Elladan and Elrohir had immediately suggested they go hunting.  
  
Liam looked over at the twins, intent on the deer trail. He smiled as he thought of their lively banter all afternoon.  
  
They had been out hunting all day and had finally found a large herd of deer grazing in a meadow not far from a small village. When they had approached the herd, a large buck had snorted a warning and the deer had quickly disappeared into the forest with the three elves in hot pursuit. Elladan and Elrohir motioned for him to take the path on his left while they took the one on the right. Liam heard the twins as they ran after the largest part of the herd.  
  
Liam stopped and listened intently. He was sure he had heard something. There it was again. A thin plaintive wail. It sounded like a child. But what would a child be doing out here in the woods? He followed the sounded further into the forest.  
  
How strange. It appeared to be coming from a group of trees up ahead. As he moved closer he could hear it plainly. He entered a clearing and then stopped at the scene before him. There on the ground was a very large wolf. He was trying to climb a huge oak tree. It was bent at an angle and he was trying to climb up onto it's trunk but every time he jumped onto the tree his nose met with a rock thrown from somewhere in the branches.  
  
He looked further up the tree and there trapped on a large branch was a little dark-haired girl. She couldn't have been more than ten years old. She held a handful of rocks and every time the wolf jumped on the tree she would throw another rock. She was sobbing in the most heartbreaking way. Liam's heart went out to her.  
  
Fixing the wolf with a stern glare, Liam spoke, and his voice cracked like a whip. "Begone!" The wolf turned and scuttled into the forest. Liam looked up at the sobbing child.  
  
"It's all right little one.", he said gently. "Do not be afraid. I am going to come up and get you, all right?" He smiled reassuringly at her.  
  
Calla's eyes went wide as she gulped back her sobs. She had just wanted to play with the big dog! It was so pretty and black and reminded her of a puppy she'd had when she was a lot younger. When she was six. She bit her lip and put the rocks down next to her in a crotch of the tree.  
  
The man who had appeared and chased the wolf away was a complete stranger. He didn't live in her village and her mother had drilled in her little ten- year-old head not to talk to strangers. But where could she go if the tall stranger wanted to come up into the tree? To be honest she did not want to sit up here much longer. She felt all scratched and dirty and there were bugs everywhere and who knew what hid in the vines draping the branches around her. She had just climbed the tree fast because it was the closest thing to escape the wolf in.  
  
She leaned over to see what the stranger was going to do. He was smiling up at her and she wiped her eyes and found herself smiling back. But then, she sat back and got scared. He was still an unknown. Torn, she looked above her into the thick leaves. Well, she could climb a little higher and maybe he'd get bored and leave. Adults were so easily bored. Besides, she was smaller than the tall stranger and could crawl out on the thinner branches. Leaving her rocks behind, she began to crawl further up the tree.  
  
Oh, momma was going to be so angry with her. She had ripped her dress and a scraped knee showed through the hole. Feeling very sorry for herself, unhappy tears began to fill her eyes again and she missed the spider that, angry at being disturbed by her grasping fingers getting too close to her egg sack, attacked and bit her on her left hand. Not terribly poisonous, the spider bite still was a sharp pain and startled the little girl. Calla screamed and let go without thinking and fell, hitting two branches on her way down..  
  
Liam jumped forward to catch the little girl as she hurtled to the ground. As he caught her he softened his muscles, so her body wouldn't hit so suddenly. She was sobbing hysterically. He cuddled her carefully in his arms speaking soothingly to her in his most melodious voice. He laid her carefully in some soft grass and began to examine her for injuries. He smiled kindly at her as he worked, gently examining each limb for breaks. He noticed her frightened look as he worked.  
  
Liam looked into her eyes and smiled his kindest smile. "Do not worry little one. Everything will be all right." He heard her stifle a frightened sob. Poor little mite! An idea came to his mind. He gave the little girl a mischievous wink as he reached into the grass and brought out a small grey pebble.  
  
"My name is Liam little princess. I am going to make sure you are not injured by your fall. While I am doing so would you like to see some magic?" He looked into her eyes and waited.  
  
Calla gulped her sobs back, staring up into the stranger's kind and beautiful face. She did not feel so frightened, but her side really hurt and her neck. She moaned as she tried to move it. And her hand too!  
  
But a magic trick? He wanted to do a magic trick right now? Well, a magic trick could be fun.  
  
"But I-I am good at figuring out magic tricks Master Liam." Calla moved in pain again, which made the ringing in her ears come again.  
  
She bit her lip, but she was out here all alone in the forest with a beautiful stra--Master Liam and...and..  
  
"I-I want my momma!"  
  
Liam gently brushed her hair from her forehead. "I know little one, and I promise I will take you to her. But first I must make sure you are not hurt. Have you ever seen a star come to earth?" he asked, his warm gray eyes smiling with laughter.  
  
Liam held up the small gray pebble. "It looks like an ordinary stone does it not? Ah, but look again.", he said with a twinkle in his eye. He carefully let go of the stone. It hung there in mid air. "Now watch little one. This is the good part.", he said as he smiled at her. She looked at the stone that hung in the air a foot to her left. It slowly started to glow until it shone like a star in the night sky. It began to slowly spin, casting rainbow colors in all directions. It was very bright but the light didn't hurt her eyes. It had a pleasing, gentle glow.  
  
As Calla watched the "star" Liam quickly checked her for injuries. He found one scraped knee and a hairline fracture on one of her little ribs. Her neck also had a hairline fracture in one of the bones and she had a concussion. Poor little lamb, he thought. Careful not to disturb her he gently laid one hand on her ribcage and the other on her head. A golden glow shone through his fingers as he mended the cracked rib, the concussion and then moved to repair her neck. Then his hands moved to her skinned knee. Placing his hand gently on the wound he enveloped it in the same golden glow, repairing the scraped flesh. He then took her left hand gently in his and sent a warm flow of healing energy into the rest of her body. Just in case there is something I missed, he thought.  
  
He sat back and watched as she lay fascinated by the "star". Smiling he reached out and took it, the glow slowly fading. He opened his hand and showed her the stone. It was no longer a gray stone. In its place was a rainbow colored crystal. It caught the sun's light and seemed to sparkle with a life of it's own. It was beautiful. Liam held it out to the girl. "It is time to return to your mother. Would you like to take this home, little one?"  
  
Calla stared at the star. A star!! it was so close she could touch it, but she felt kind of sleepy and it was too much effort to raise her arm. The star just smiled like a rainbow. Despite the damp on the forest floor, Calla felt warm and relaxed, like she did when she woke from a nap. Not too often because she was too big to take naps all the time. And the stranger had been so nice and his hands were soft and he had not hurt her or offered her sweets. Just this star.  
  
"I.. I can have it? The sky won't miss it? There won't be a hole up there?" Calla craned her now healed neck up to try to see the sky through the moving branches above her. But she suddenly realized, stars were only seen at night.  
  
"Wait Master Liam! How can I see the star? It's day time!" she reached up to touch the long slender hand above her holding the crystal. Wait til she showed her momma!  
  
  
  
Liam took the crystal and laid it gently in her tiny hand. Cupping his slender hands around hers he smiled. "Because it is magic little one. This life would be awfully dull without some magic in it don't you think? And no, the sky will not miss it. Iluvatar made it especially for you. It is special as you are special. It started as a dull gray stone and it became a beautiful star. To our people the stars represent the love of Iluvatar, shining down on all on the earth. Always remember little one, you have a beautiful star inside you. Never be afraid to let your star shine, so that others may see it's light and be warmed."  
  
Calla smiled up into Liam's eyes as he helped her to her feet. She stood gazing at the sparkling stone in her hand. Then, with a gasp she remembered. Cama! Wait till her twin saw this!  
  
"Thank you Master Liam. It is very pretty. Cama's eyes will pop right out of her head.", she said grinning from ear to ear.  
  
Liam chuckled softly at this. "Who is Cama?"  
  
"She's my twin sister, Master Liam.", Calla said proudly. "I'm going to share my star with her. We share everything."  
  
"Well then, you shall share this too.", said Liam. He leaned forward and blew on the crystal. There was a brief flash of light and the crystal lay in two perfectly shaped stars, glittering in the sunlight. Liam lifted Calla's chin with his fingertips, his warm, gray eyes growing darker.  
  
"I will take you home to your mother now, little one. When you awaken you will feel very refreshed and you will remember nothing of your fright." With that he gently sent her to sleep.  
  
He cuddled her up in his arms and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Sleep well little lamb. And may all your dreams be filled with joy."  
  
He turned and started carrying his tiny patient towards the small village.  
  
Later that evening the twins sat telling their father about their exploits at the hunt. Elrond looked over at Liam.  
  
"You have been rather quiet this evening, Liam. Did you have no luck at the hunt?", he asked.  
  
"I found a little fawn trapped by a wolf and I took her safely home to her mother.", said Liam smiling faintly.  
  
"Ai.", said Elrond. "Well perhaps you will have better luck tomorrow."  
  
"Yes,", said Elladan. "Next time you can go down the more traveled path."  
  
"Thank you my friends. But I think the path less traveled is sometimes the better choice."  
  
Elladan shrugged and took a sip of his wine.  
  
Liam smiled to himself and thought of Calla. 


End file.
